Steering apparatus

Details Steering apparatus Steering apparatus

1995-11-30

1998-03-31

Hurley, Kevin

Motor vehicles

Steering gear

With electric power assist

180446, B62D 504

Patent

active

057327912

ABSTRACT:
An improved vehicle steering apparatus (10) includes an electric motor (28) which is continuously energized during operation of the vehicle. A pair of clutch assemblies (42 and 44) are connected with a steering shaft (48) which extends from the vehicle steering wheel (12) to steering gear (14) connected with steerable vehicle wheels (16 and 18). A drive assembly (38) continuously transmits force from the motor (28) to the clutch assemblies (42 and 44) during operation of the vehicle. Upon turning of the steering wheel (12), a control unit (56) provides an output to an electromagnet (102) in one of the clutch assemblies (42 or 44) to energize the electromagnet. Energizing the electromagnet (102) increases the resistance of a rheological fluid (98) in the clutch assembly (42 and 44) to shear. As the shear strength of the rheological fluid (98) increases, the force transmitted by the drive assembly (38 to the clutch assemblies (42 or 44) from the continuously operating motor (28) increases to assist in rotating the steering shaft (48) and turning of the steerable vehicle wheels (16 and 18).

REFERENCES:
patent: 2587377 (1952-02-01), Penrose
patent: 4241804 (1980-12-01), Deininger et al.
patent: 4301739 (1981-11-01), Mehren et al.
patent: 4666010 (1987-05-01), Morishita et al.
patent: 4741408 (1988-05-01), Bausch et al.
patent: 4800974 (1989-01-01), Wand et al.
patent: 5236335 (1993-08-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5354488 (1994-10-01), Shtarkman et al.
patent: 5367459 (1994-11-01), Shtarkman et al.

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